Brad Thompson - The Need To Succeed

Quarterback Brad Thompson is a competitive young man, both on the football field and in his work life. You could say that he has a need to succeed and to lead others, and that would be born out in the position he plays when wearing the helmet and pads. That desire has led him to seek out opportunities within football where he felt he could develop as a player, and achieve the success he desires. To this point he has repeatedly achieved both of those goals, however, he shows no signs of stopping, and has recently taken on what may be his biggest challenge to date.

Unlike a number of his contemporaries, Thompson didn’t come to the game via the British universities league, at age eighteen he was introduced to the game by his father. “I remember watching the NFL with my dad on the TV, he was a big Dallas Cowboys fan. He encouraged me to try it out, so I tracked down my local team. At that time I was playing a lot of basketball, so handling and throwing the ball was second nature to me”. Living in Loughborough, that local team were the Leicester Falcons. He turned up at a training session and ran some positional drills, the coaches were fast to spot his potential. He took some reps at receiver and safety, but his arm mechanics led to him being installed at quarterback. He flourished in the role, but his initial excitement was tempered when the ambitious Falcons signed ex NFL import, Brad Van Pelt as their triggerman. The frustration of being a back up didn’t sit well, but it was a blessing in disguise. Under the tout ledge of Van Pelt, Thompson became a very competent and efficient quarterback. When Van Pelt left to play in the Italian leagues with Bergamo, Brad went out to train with the Lions for two weeks, further enhancing his skill set. Experiencing football at that semi-pro European level stirred him to play at a higher level in the UK and he made the move across the midlands to title contenders Tamworth Phoenix. Whilst with the Phoenix he became involved with the GB Lions programme building friendships with players from the powerhouse London programmes, the Blitz and the Warriors. With Thompson under centre, Tamworth was now one of the strongest programmes in the British league and they progressed all the way to the play-offs, disappointingly, they lost to Bristol.

At this point, Thompson was contacted by his friends from the Warriors, who encouraged him to come and join them. Their previous QB1, Jerome Allen, had gone to study in the states, and the team had a job opening. It would be a big commitment, not least because of the travel, factor in his work commitments and his family life and the size of the task became even more apparent. Thompson however, relished the challenge and committed for the season. He won the starting job and led the team the National Championship, fully vindicating his decision. As part of that Championship season, the Warriors were also involved in a European tournament, “The Battle for the Tyrol”. They travelled to Austria to take on the Swarco Raiders, but despite a good showing they were unable to get the better of their hosts, Thompson however, received plaudits for his performance. That game was followed by a trip to Frankfurt, Germany for a match-up with the Galaxy, but again they were unable to secure the win. He was now a national champion, but with the excessive travel taking its toll, he decided to return to the Phoenix. In his absence, Tamworth had installed the talented Pat Daley at quarterback and once more Thompson would be working in a back-up role, and getting some reps at safety. The Phoenix went undefeated and won the Northern division, eventually falling to the London Blitz in the semi-final, he had committed for the year, but with the season over he was looking for the next challenge. It came in the form of a phone call from long term friend Toby Chesters, and encouragement from fellow baller David Saul.

With the impending retirement of Britball stalwart, Richard Batty, Chesters had agreed to take over the Head Coaching position with the premier north divisions Sheffield programme. Sheffield were traditionally known for featuring a run heavy offence, but as part of the re-branding Chesters wanted to install a more balanced offence, and was looking for an experienced quarterback to pull the trigger for him. Thompson thought long and hard about the opportunity, and decided to grasp it, the chance to design the offence and be part of an ambitious five-year plan appealed to him greatly. That puts him firmly in the driving seat, exactly where he likes to be. He knows it won’t be easy and success may not come quickly, but that challenge is what will make the job more satisfying. “Knowing I can directly influence the results, and help develop the players we have, will make this so sweet when we start to achieve things” mused Thompson.

Having a supportive family will be key to the success of this latest step on his football journey, and having a wife who herself is an accomplished player certainly helps. Laura plays receiver for the Derby Braves and is a two time club offensive MVP. “Any success I have had in the last few years wouldn’t have happened without Laura, she’s been incredible”.

Early results from Sheffield indicate that progress is being made, but we can be confident that Thompson won’t be satisfied until titles have been won and some more silverware has to be accommodated in his already busy trophy cabinet.

Sheffield Giants images - courtesy of Kevin Jefferson